The New York Knicks (31-16) and Denver Nuggets (28-18) will meet in the NBA tonight. Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m. ET from Madison Square Garden in New York City. The game will broadcast live on ESPN.
The Knicks are 2.5-point favorites over the Nuggets on the spread (Knicks -2.5), with the over/under set at 242.5 total points. New York is a -142 favorite to win outright, while Denver is +120 to pull off the upset.
Let's get into my Nuggets vs. Knicks predictions and NBA picks for Wednesday, January 29.
Nuggets vs. Knicks Prediction, Picks
Spread
My Knicks vs. Nuggets best bet is on New York to cover the spread, with the best line currently available at DraftKings. But as always, make sure to shop for the best line using our live NBA odds page.
Over/Under
I will not be betting either side of the total in tonight's contest.
My Pick: Knicks -2.5
Nuggets vs. Knicks Odds, Spread, Over/Under
| Nuggets Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+2.5 -110 | 242.5 -110 / -110 | +120 |
| Knicks Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-2.5 -110 | 242.5 -110 / -110 | -142 |
- Nuggets vs. Knicks spread: Knicks -2.5
- Nuggets vs. Knicks over/under: 242.5 points
- Nuggets vs. Knicks moneyline: Nuggets +120, Knicks -142
- Nuggets vs. Knicks best bet: Knicks -2.5
Denver Nuggets vs. New York Knicks Preview
The Knicks host the Nuggets on Wednesday as the Nuggets continue their Eastern Conference road trip. Can the Nuggets right the ship after dropping two in a row or will the Knicks build on their dominant victory against the Grizzlies? Let's dive in.
The injury report for this game is light with just Josh Hart (knee) listed as Questionable. He didn't appear to hurt his knee last time out so this could be something lingering.
When these two teams faced off back in November, the Knicks dominated in a 145-118 victory. OG Anunoby dropped 40 points and the Knicks shot an absurd 52.8% from 3. They were in control from start to finish.
Jalen Brunson racked up 17 assists and Karl-Anthony Towns had a monster game as well with 30 points, 15 rebounds, and 4 assists. His rebounds line is set at 11.5 for this game and I'll be on the over. He has hit this in 67% of games this season, averaging 13.8 rebounds per game.
One notable difference for the Knicks lately is that they have begun to rest their guys more. The Minutes Police have finally started to have their way. During their four-game winning streak, no Knick is averaging more than 36 minutes per game, per Tommy Beer.
During the Knicks' current four-game winning streak, no Knick is averaging more than 36 minutes per game.
Over the prior month, four of the five Knicks starters averaged more than 36 MPG (Towns was at "only" 35.1)
The biggest beneficiary has been Mikal Bridges. Over his first… https://t.co/zkC70l7tun
— Tommy Beer (@TommyBeer) January 28, 2025
The bench has been critical to their success, and if Tom Thibodeau starts to trust a deeper rotation, this could pay dividends in the long run.
However, it has also impacted some of the rotations, and I'd caution anyone who sees Mikal Bridges' 1Q points line at 3.5 and thinks it's a great bet. He has seen his minutes slashed in the 1Q from the entire 12 to about 6.5 minutes.
Another notable change for the Knicks that truly showed itself against the Grizzlies was they stayed home on their defensive assignments and did not overhelp to try and preemptively compensate for Brunson and KAT.
By refusing to overhelp they do not get themselves out of position which more often than not results in a wide-open man or a mismatch for their opponents.
It's better to let their offense do the work and live with any shots they surrender in one-on-one isolations. This is particularly helpful against a Denver team that relies so heavily on Jokic's ability to properly assess the situation and floor to find the open cutter.
This will be more difficult to do with Anunoby, Hart, and Bridges manning the Wings. I think this is a game where Jokic will take the path of least resistance and score the basketball.
Nuggets vs. Knicks Best Bets, Predictions
The Knicks have been the better team this season, but these teams are similar in that they both have elite offenses and middling defenses. Denver's biggest change this year is that they are playing at a blistering pace compared to the bottom ten marks they've lived with the past few seasons.
While I do not expect another blowout, the Knicks have the personnel to bother the rest of Denver's team outside of Jokic. I'll back New York here.
For my same game parlay, I will take Jokic 25+ Points, KAT 10+ Rebounds, and Brunson 6+ Assists.
Best Bet: Knicks -2.5 (-110)
Nuggets vs. Knicks Parlay Picks
- Nikola Jokic 25+ Points (-240)
- Karl-Anthony Towns 10+ Rebounds (-390)
- Jalen Brunson 6+ Assists (-400)
Parlay Payout: +106
Nuggets vs. Knicks Betting Trends
